Electric battery



Patentea May 15, 1923.'

STATES- DAVID PEPPER, or PHILA EL'PHIA, rENNsYLvANA,

i ELECTRIC BATTERY.

Application filed August 9, 192i. Serial No. 490358,

To all wkom it may concem;

Be it known that I, DAVID PEPPER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city and County of Philadelphia, in the Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inElectric Battery, of which the following is a true and exactdescription, reference being had to theaccompanyin'g drawing, whichforms a part thereof. e

My invention relates to electric batteries and has for its objectto-provide a battery of high voltage and simple and effective con.-struction, especially, though not exclusively, adapted for use as afiashlight battery. 4

The nature of my invention will'be best understood as described inconnection with the drawings in which it 'is illustrated and in which Figure l is a sectional elevation of a battery embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. v

F igure 3 is a sectionalelevation of a modified and preferredConstruction of my battery and Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line4-4 of F ig. 3 looking upward.

A is a thin ,walled cup of lead -or lead-` antimony alloy which may haveits bottom A' strengthened by ribs as shown at A or may have a plainflat bottom, as shown at A in F ig. 3. By preference, the walls a of thecup A have a thin layer of electrodeposited lead pertxide deposited onthem before-the layer of lead peroxide'and a suitable binder, indjcatedat B, is applied to them. Thisperoxide layer B or its equivalentsimilarly applied, constitutes the Cathode of my battery. Inside oI"thecathode layer I provide a Separator layer C of some materialpermeable to' the electrolyte used which may be dilute sulphurc acid orbisulphate of soda' or potash,'in either liquid or jelly or aste form.

D, Figs. 1 and 2, is a zine cup having a closed end D' which is set inthe centre of the battery with the closed end uppermost and whichconstitutes the anode of my battery. The closed top zine cup is greatlystrengthened by its' closed top and constitutes an important feature ofmy invention. lVhere the zine cup is used with' aperoxide of manganeseand carbon cat-hade layer B the zinc need not be amalgamated,.but.whereused with peroxide of lead as a cathodethe zine v cup should have itsactive surface amalgamated or( 'may be i throughout and in theConstruction of F igs. 1 and 2 \vhereonly the outer 'ace of the Zinc cupis active I hare shown the cup reinforced by a layer ot' asphalt orsimilar mate` rial indicated at F'. At- F at the top of the cup, I havealso shown a layer of asphalt ahalgamated" which protects thisnonactiveportion froni g" analgamation and serves to make a betterjointwith the asphalt plug J which closes the top of the battery andholds the zinc cup in position. I is a washer on top 'of which the plugJ 'is formed. In the construction of Figs. 1 and 2 the electrolyte ischarged into the battery before the plug J is formed and of courseimpregnates the v layer C.

In the modified -battery of F igs. 3 and 4: the Zinc cup DD is fornedwith strengthening ribs D extending across itstop end with a perforatedboss D through which the electrolyte is introduced and which is closedby a plug E forming one of the coni nections. The cup DD is formedwithperforations as indicated at D In the Construction of Figs. 3' and4:, I apply to the inner and outer walls of the cup DD a layer of paperas indicated at G and G' on which has been applied a thin layer of Zincamalgam. This amalgan of course as it is reduced liberates mercury whichimmediately acts to amalgamate the wall of the cup which is thus'maintained -in condition to form.- an effective anode. At

H I have shown a spring of ,stifl' paper the' function of which is tohold the paper layer G in contact with the inner wall of the Zinc cup.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the asphalt plug i permost in the batteryandspaced froni the cathode layer, a seal of non-permeable nonconductingmaterial closing the space between the top of the lead and zine cups andacting to hold the zine cup anode in position,

'and an electrolyte in contact with both electrodes. I 2. An electricbattery comprising an outer cup shaped container of lead havinga layerof lead peroxide ,electro-deposited onits inner walls and an inne' layerof lead peroxide compacted in close electrical and mechar'ic'al contactwith the so prepared inner wall of the lead cup and constituting thecathode of the p battery, a Zinc cup shaped anode having the cup shapedcontainer of lead, a layer of ac-' tive material in' close electricaland mechanical contact with the inside walls of said cup constitutingthe cathode of the battery, a

zinc anode heldcentrally in the' battery, layers of Zinc' amalgamapplied in contact with active surface of zinc anode, means for holdingthe amalgam in position, an electrolyte in contact with both anode andca thode and a seal closing the top of the battery and spacing thezincanode therein.

4. An electric battery comprising an outer cup shaped container of lead,a layer of active material in close electrical and mechanv ical contactWith the inside walls of said cup constitutng the cathode of thebattc'ry, a zinc cup shaped anode set with the closed end uppermost inthe battery and spaced from the cathode'l'ayer, a reinforcing layer ofinert material applied to the non-active surfaces of the zinc cup auode,a seal of nonp'ermeable non-conducting material closing the spacebetween the top of the lead and Zinc cups and acting to hold the zinecup anode in osition and an electrolyte in contact with oth electrodes.

- DAVID PEPPER.

